Full Moon Names
Every month's full moon carries a traditional name — most drawn from Native American and Colonial-American almanacs, marking what the season brought. Here are all twelve, with their 2026 dates and the stories behind them.
| Month | Name | 2026 date |
|---|---|---|
| January | Wolf Moon | January 3 |
| February | Snow Moon | February 1 |
| March | Worm Moon | March 3 |
| April | Pink Moon | April 2 |
| May | Flower Moon | May 1 |
| June | Strawberry Moon | June 29 |
| July | Buck Moon | July 29 |
| August | Sturgeon Moon | August 28 |
| September | Harvest Moon | September 26 |
| October | Hunter's Moon | October 26 |
| November | Beaver Moon | November 24 |
| December | Cold Moon | December 24 |
Special full moons
Blue Moon
A second full moon in a single calendar month, or (by the older rule) the third of four full moons in one season. It is not blue — the phrase "once in a blue moon" survives from its rarity, about every 2–3 years.
Supermoon
A full moon that falls near perigee, the Moon's closest point to Earth, making it look slightly larger and brighter. The difference is real but subtle to the eye.
Blood Moon
The deep red of a totally eclipsed Moon, lit only by sunlight bent through Earth's atmosphere. (October's Hunter's Moon is sometimes loosely called a blood moon too, for unrelated reasons.)
Harvest Moon
The full moon nearest the September equinox — usually September's, occasionally October's. It rises soon after sunset for several nights, the trait that named it.